APC will rule for 16 years as PDP did – Umenzekwe

Chief Modestus Umenzekwe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), believes that none of the opposition political parties has the capacity to defeat the ruling party in the next presidential election. In this interview, he speaks on recent developments in the polity and other issues

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar recently paid a courtesy call to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari and several meanings have been read to the visit. What do you make of the visit; do you think it is about the politics of 2027?

I have not discussed with Atiku or former President Buhari, so I can’t give you any cogent answer. I don’t know what was in Atiku’s mind; whether he went on the invitation of Buhari or on his own volition.

But we must eschew bitterness in politics after all Buhari and Atiku are northerners and they are Nigerians, so nothing stops two Nigerians from meeting. If there is any other political undertone, I don’t know and I don’t see it as a serious issue. The other day I read in the papers that former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

What is bad about it? Having different political inclinations should not bring enmity. That is the way I look at all these things. So, whether Atiku has any political motive for visiting Buhari, I don’t know because I can’t speak for him.

Are you not worried over the visit given the speculation that some Northern political leaders are plotting to stop President Bola Tinubu in 2027?

Before 2015, I granted an interview and said that APC will spring surprises, and it did. We also did it again in 2023. In 2027, we will still spring surprises. And I have said it time without number that APC will rule for 16 years as PDP did.

We have seen first ladies come and go; how would you assess the way the current First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has run her office so far?

I will say that she has been methodical in her approach to issues. I see her as a very simple and unassuming woman, who is focused and well-educated for her responsibilities. I see humility in her, judging from her public outings; she appears very natural and these attributes are very commendable.

During her days in the Senate, she was able to prove her worth. She sponsored so many bills and was able to weather the storm in those days. Her bill on the need to grant Lagos State a special status in the budget is a typical example even though it was not passed by the Senate.

Since she became the first lady, I can say that she is doing very well with her Renewed Hope Initiative, making sure that the 35 per cent appointive positions for women is maintained and working side by side with the husband to make sure that the country is moving on the right track despite the fact that there is hardship as a result of accumulated decades of economic decay that was not caused by this administration.

When she made a statement during the campaign days that they were not coming to loot the treasury, members of the opposition saw her statement as bragging. But what she was saying in essence is that they applied for the job and they are ready to do the work. You know that when you make a factual statement in this country, you will be criticized, when you tell lies, you will be criticized because everything is politics.

Even when you say good morning to your fellow human being, it is politics, everything is given political interpretation, but the woman made a very factual statement. Even though I don’t know what the family worths, I believe that economically, President Tinubu and his family are very comfortable. Therefore, they came to serve and not to loot the treasury, and I pray that God will help them to reposition this country for better.

It doesn’t make sense when some people keep running Nigeria down and they are Nigerians. So, let us at all times try to protect the image of this country and criticize those in public offices constructively

Are you saying that Mrs. Tinubu is different from other past first ladies that we have had in this country?

I didn’t say so. What I am saying is that the current first lady has participated in the governance of this country by virtue of being in the Senate as well as the first lady of Lagos State. So, she has a very great wealth of experience in governance that will help her husband in repositioning this country for better.

The past first ladies all have their own attributes, so until we have a flashback of those first ladies and their roles, I will not be able to talk about them. But it suffices to say that the current first lady is a special gift to this country. Remember that she proposed a bill to reform the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOS) to make it a more viable entity.

She also received the award for the most impactful female senator in 2021. As the First Lady of Lagos State, she made tremendous impact in the lives of several people and institutions within and outside Nigeria. She founded the New Era Foundation, a non-profit organisation, dedicated to youth development, girl-child education, women empowerment and inspiring young persons to excellence.

Her other achievements include the Annual Spelling Bee Competition to raise educational standard, annual One-Day Governor initiative, which has produced many first class university graduates, alternative High School for Girls to help young ladies who dropped out of school due to early pregnancy to complete their high school education and endowment funds in four universities, among others.

As a senator, she hosted quarterly town hall meetings with her constituents; she sponsored three bills to provide social security for elderly citizens; sough an amendment to the Labour Act to enhance employment opportunities for women as well as sponsored a bill to provide special economic assistance to Lagos State in view of its status as a former capital city and the commercial capital of Nigeria.

There is a move by some lawmakers to reach out to the President for a possible release of leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. What do you take of that move?

I am an Igbo man and Nnamdi Kanu is our son. All these court cases will not help out. Let him be released through a political arrangement and we will take him home, discuss with him and correct him on areas where he misfired.

Where he has gotten it right, we will support him. So, my position is whether some lawmakers are signing for his release or not, let the Federal Government adopt a political approach and release him.

What is your advice to Nigerians as the Tinubu administration enters its second year?

My advice to Nigerians is to be prayerful and look on to God and also try to show changes wherever we feel we are getting it wrong, right from our families to the seat of power. Then, let us criticise constructively.

When you come out and talk with a mindset, you are bound to make mistakes. Also, let us at all times protect the image of this country. We don’t have any other country. I don’t see any sense when some people keep running Nigeria down and they are a Nigerians. So, let us at all times try to protect the image of this country and criticize those in public offices constructively because nobody is Mr. know all.